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The Munich Model – Mindfulness and Meditation in a University Context

The Initiative »Mindfulness and Meditation at University – The Munich Model« was created in the year 2010 by Andreas de Bruin.

The Munich Model focuses on three key aspects:

  • How to implement mindfulness and meditation at universities and why we should do so.
  • Practicing different approaches of mindfulness and meditation in kindergarten, schools and teacher training.
  • The neuroscientific findings on the impact of mindfulness and meditation as applied in spheres of activity that have a high relevance for education and social work.

The emphasis is on practical mindfulness and meditation exercises such as sitting meditation techniques, which include, for example, focusing on the breath or the internal recitation of a mantra; body scans; compassion meditations; walking meditations; as well as informal mindfulness exercises, such as mindful cooking, eating, and communicating.

The theoretical components of the courses contain scientific research, background knowledge about the different approaches of meditation and their fields of application. The students learn how to integrate the exercises in the various occupational areas – depending on their respective degree program. Within the Munich Model itself, students are involved in working in a variety of educational institutions and some students have even become teachers of mindfulness and meditation themselves, thus furthering this concept in society.

Within the framework of the Munich Model, supplementary meditation sessions are offered for students, lecturers, university staff, and anyone else who is interested, alongside the standard curriculum.

Color Field Painting and Aligning the Mind

As of 2024, Andreas de Bruin has been exploring ways to communicate the alignment of the mind in mindfulness and meditation practices using his color field paintings.

Meditation and Art

“Meditation and Art” presents a method that enables a conscious perception of the paintings of the great masters. Through concentration and focus, the observer is able to access the inner architecture of a great work of art, complementing the usual technical and historical analysis of a painting. Thus mindfulness and meditation are effective tools that can add a new dimension to the appreciation and understanding of these masterpieces.

This new form of art education includes four distinct parts: (I) walking meditation and silence meditation, (II) describing the image / aspects of a work, (III) an artwork’s historical development / stylistic contexts, (IV) final meditation.

“Meditation and Art” was presented for the first time by Andreas de Bruin at the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum in 2017. Public workshops, private tours, and educational courses have since been held in several major European museums, receiving an enthusiastic response from participants.

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